A Texas County jury found a man guilty of first-degree assault and attempted burglary, felonies, Thursday in Texas County Circuit Court.
Paul Johnson, born in 2000, was arrested following a Christmas Day incident in 2024. Johnson waived the jury sentencing him, and he opted to have the judge give him his punishment. Circuit Judge Bill Hickle is expected to do that on Dec. 2, barring any delays.
Authorities were notified at about 11 a.m. Dec. 25 that a resident of the Stillman Drive house and an unknown man were fighting.
Johnson, according to the homeowner, had first arrived at the house at 5 a.m. and was escorted off the property after voicing gibberish. About six hours later, the suspect returned and was banging on a door. The homeowner met the man with a .12-gauge shotgun at a door.
The victim told authorities that he attempted to fire at Johnson, but the weapon didn’t discharge when he pulled the trigger, according to a report. A physical fight ensued between the men as the victim’s wife and children stayed inside.
Eventually, Johnson departed, running along a fence line as the homeowner shot multiple shells into the ground, according to a Texas County Sheriff’s Department deputy. A state trooper identified the suspect’s location.
